FATAL ERROR: SYSTEM REBOOT: Final Reset
by Insert New Name Here
Summary: Alternate version of my story, FATAL ERROR: SYSTEM REBOOT, with Kiri/harem after the initial revision of the source material. Those looking only for Kirisuna, take a look at that story, and those looking for a similar harem story, stick around for one heck of a ride! (To those of you who follow me, this is the last rewrite, and the original FESR is not abandoned!)
1. Chapter 1: Fatal Error

FATAL ERROR: SYSTEM REBOOT

Final Reset

Chapter One: Fatal Error

* * *

**A/N:**

**NOTICE: I will NOT abandon the original Fatal Error. I just thought I should say that for those of you who are hating on me because they think I am. (Believe me, there have been a few already.)**

**This is just something I whipped up for a project in my writers' workshop, where I'm supposed to revise something I've written. Naturally, I'd choose this! So yeah, this is my third and FINAL rewrite of my first story, and I'll be making this a harem. Don't worry, though, I'll still update the original FESR, so those of you who like that one will still be reading new chapters every once in a while. Of course, that means that both the Kirisuna-only lovers AND the Harem Lovers will get what they want! Hooray!**

**So yeah, I hope you enjoy this! Of course, if you want to show me how much you like or dislike it, you can do that by reviewing, faving, or PMing.**

**EDIT: I made some edits to the initial release of this chapter, but that hasn't slowed me down. Expect the next chapter to be revised and out within a week from 3/7/2014!**

**All right, I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

"Kirito-kun. I feel you deserve some kind of reward for deducing my identity, so… I'll give you a chance."

I looked at the man before me, an angry but puzzled expression on my face. "A chance for what?"

"The chance to fight me one-on-one. Right here, right now. Of course, my immortal status will be deactivated. Defeat me and you clear the game. All the players will be able to log out from this world, no strings attached. What do you say?"

I gasped quietly, my mind racing.

_Something is off about this. If he's doing this, he must be extremely confident in his power. He may deactivate his immortality, but he might still have another hack programmed into his character. Even so…_

"Don't do it, Kirito-kun," Asuna said quietly from my arms, looking at me pleadingly. "He's trying to get rid of you before you become a threat. For now… for now, we should fall back."

Memories from my time in SAO flashed before my eyes. Memories of everyone who died in front of me, appearing in my mind one by one.

_I saw Diabel, perishing in my arms._

I grit my teeth, rage building up inside me.

_Then came Ducker, Sasamaru and Tetsuo, dying to the horde of mobs in the trap room on the twenty-seventh floor._

_Sachi, my first love, dying as she said the two words that gave me the will to live._

I lowered my head, my bangs covering the tears of fury building up in my eyes.

_Then came Keita, committing suicide after I told him of my status as a «Beater»._

_Corvats of the «Aincrad Liberation Force», perishing at the hands of the «Gleam Eyes»._

_Godfrie of the «Knights of the Blood», dying to Kuradeel of the «Laughing Coffin», who happened to be the next person to die… by my hands._

_Yui, my beloved in-game child, being deleted by the «Cardinal System» for stepping out of line._

I clenched my teeth even harder, the tears of rage threatening to fall from my eyes.

_I saw Asuna at the guild headquarters, crying in my arms at the thought of my death._

"Don't underestimate me…" I whispered, a primal rage just under the surface of my flat tone. "That's fine with me. Let's end it here."

"Kirito-kun!" Asuna whispered, her tone pleading me not to fight him.

"Sorry, Asuna," I told her, looking down at her softly. "But I can't run away here. Not with these stakes."

"If you die, I'll never forgive you," Asuna replied.

"No, I'm gonna win. I promise I'll end this world," I reassured her, getting up and laying her gently onto the ground.

I began walking towards Heathcliff —no, Kayaba Akihiko— the demon who created this world. As I unsheathed my swords, I heard my friends calling my name.

"Kirito! Don't!" Egil, my only African American friend, shouted at me from where he lay, paralyzed on the ground.

"Kirito!" Klein, the first friend I made in this world, shouted from his own spot as he struggled to get up and stop me.

"Egil," I said, turning to face the dark-skinned giant.

He gasped, and I could see his mind racing to figure out my next words.

"Thanks for supporting all the players here, since the very beginning," I told him, cracking a smile. "Yeah, I knew. You act all tough, like you only care about the money, but I know you spent everything you had on helping the mid-level players level up."

Egil responded with another gasp, and I knew what he was thinking: that I might not survive, so this was my final goodbye.

_It just might be…_

"Klein," I said, my voice tinged with sorrow and regret.

Klein's face showed the horror he felt quite clearly, and I knew that he had figured out the purpose of this speech even faster that Egil had.

I looked down, my expression grim. "I'm sorry I left you behind that day… I think about it all the time."

"D-DAMN IT, Kirito!" Klein shouted, tears streaming from his eyes. "Don't you apologize! Don't you dare apologize now! I won't forgive you… I'll never forgive you until we're on the other side and you're buying me a meal, god damn it!"

"Of course," I affirmed, trying my best to comfort him. "I'll see you on the other side."

I looked to my beloved Asuna and smiled softly. I watched her face as she, too, began to realize what I thought might happen. Horror filled her face, and I could see tears beginning to fill the corners of her eyes. I turned around to face this world's demon creator, my smile replaced by an emotionless look.

"Sorry, but I have one last request to make."

"What is it?" he asked, looking at me with mild curiosity.

"I have no intention to lose here… but if I die… I want your word that you'll fix it so that Asuna can't commit suicide."

"Oh? Very well," Heathcliff said, closing his eyes and smiling softly, almost as if he pitied me for being in love. "I'll set it so that she can't leave «Salemburg»."

As soon as he finished talking, Asuna started screaming desperately.

"Kirito-kun, _no_! You can't…" Asuna shouted frantically. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

I put all my effort into ignoring her pleas, putting my swords into my fighting position. As I did so, Heathcliff —no, Kayaba Akihiko, the devil that created this cruel death game— opened up his menu. After a few seconds, I saw a window appear next to his head.

«Changed into Mortal Object»

Then, both of our HP bars lowered into the Yellow zone, just above the red.

_One blow from either of us will end it._

He drew his sword from its slot in his shield.

"KIRITO-KUN!"

I ignored Asuna's desperate scream, focusing all of my attention on the demon king not more than five meters in front of me.

_This isn't some in-game duel… it's a fight to the death. But that's fine with me…_

I tightened my grip on my swords, every virtual muscle in my avatar screaming for me to charge at Heathcliff.

_'CAUSE I'M GONNA KILL HIM!_

I charged at him, my «Elucidator» raised high into the air in preparation for a strike. In turn, Heathcliff raised his sword to block.

"HAAAA!" _CLASH!_

I hit his sword with my right, sending it flying back with the aid of my massive STR stat.

"HA!" _CLASH!_

I swung my left sword at him, and he raised his shield to block just in time.

"AH!" _CLASH!_

I swung both of my swords at him simultaneously in a double leftward strike, the force sending him skidding back about a meter before he recovered. He swung his sword at my head, and I ducked just in time to avoid any damage sans a sole strand of hair getting cut off.

I slashed at him with my left sword, moving his shield slightly before he backed away. I ran after him, slashing my right sword at him in a downward strike… which, of course, was blocked by his shield.

He made another strike for my head, and I parried it with my left before making a diagonal downward strike. I immediately transitioned into an upward left strike with my right, than a horizontal rightward strike. My left sword followed suit, the recoil giving me the push I needed to avoid a thrust to the chest from his sword.

_He can block any skill I throw at him—_

I slashed my left sword once rightwards, then reversed its direction and slashed it at his head, where he ducked and blocked with the top of his cross-shaped shield.

_'Cause he designed the «Dual-Wielding» skill!_

He swung his sword leftwards at me, and I blocked it with my right. I swung at his head with my left sword once more, making him duck and back out of the way.

_And he knows all its combos!_

He sent a thrust for my head, and I redirected his sword with a cross-block from my two blades. I pushed his sword down, jumping back in order to go back on the offensive with a clean start.

_I have to beat him with my own power… without using any «Sword Skills»!_

I jumped back in, hitting Heathcliff's shield in a downward slash from my right blade. He aimed an attack at me while I was crouched down, and I jumped over his head to avoid the strike, even slashing at his back in the process. He turned around and raised his shield just in time to block, but that block gave me the spin I needed to twist in midair until I landed on my feet.

_Faster…!_

I ran at him once more, hitting his shield twice before I went all the way past him and had to turn around. Yet again, I charged at him, hitting his shield four times with my «Dark Repulser».

_I GOTTA GO FASTER!_

Responding to my need, my blades began to give off a near-invisible glow. It startled me for a second before I realized what it was doing: making me faster.

I swung my left sword in a diagonal upward slash, followed by a diagonal downward slash. As I slashed over and over, he began to back off, making me chase after him with my swords blazing.

The power of our strikes kicked up a massive cloud of dust, obscuring our vision. Even so, I kept striking, determined to land the finishing blow. As soon as Heathcliff saw the tiniest of openings, he seized the chance, slashing at me and making a small scratch on my cheek. Even that much was enough to send me over the edge, enough so that I acted completely on instinct… by activating the strongest skill I possessed.

«The Eclipse».

_No!_

"RAAAAGH!"

And so the skill began.

_CLASH, CLASH, CLASHCLASHCLASH!_

He blocked each strike with blinding speed, bouncing my every hit off of his shield.

A strike from my glowing blue «Elucidator» hit his shield diagonally, followed by a spin that lead to another downward strike from the same sword. My «Dark Repulser» swung in a wide diagonal arc that hit the center of his shield, then reversed into an upward diagonal strike.

My right swung rightwards, hitting the top of his shield before bouncing off and leaving an explosion of bluish-white light. My left came next, going into an uppercut that sent me skidding back a little before I continued with a slash, and then a jab from my «Elucidator» once more.

Heathcliff deflected another thrust with a mere sway of his shield, then swayed it again to block another incoming slash.

_He's toying with me…!_

I hit his shield yet again with a diagonal downward strike from my right sword which quickly reversed into a horizontal outward strike, then another downward hit from my left blade, then yet another from my right. Two slanted strikes from each sword hit his shield, closely followed by an uppercut, and then a two-hit spin.

_I'm sorry, Asuna… but you… you have to live!_

"HAAAAAAAAA!"

When the final hit of «The Eclipse» launched, a thrust from my left sword to the center of his shield…

It broke.

A loud ringing could be heard throughout the entire boss room. My left sword, my «Dark Repulser», had shattered at the hands of the «Liberator».

_No…_

The post-motion delay kicked in, freezing my movements and effectively making me a sitting duck for Heathcliff's next attack.

"This is it!" Heathcliff said, a wide smile on his face as he raised his sword high into the air. "Game over, Kirito-kun!"

His sword began to take on a light red hue, signifying the activation of one of the «Divine Blade's» one-hit skills: the «Holy Sword».

_Goodbye… everyone… I've failed… I'm sorry._

Something large moved into my field of vision, blocking the sight of Heathcliff's incoming sword. After only a few milliseconds, I recognized the shape as—

_Asuna! No!_

Asuna had somehow overridden the paralysis, jumping in front of me to take the blow that would have ended my life.

And she did.

A sickening cutting sound could be heard throughout the boss room as Heathcliff's sword slashed through Asuna's chest. The sound deafened me with its meaning.

She fell into my arms, as the post-motion delay ended just a fraction of a second before.

I looked on in horror, tears building up in my eyes as her health bar depleted past the Yellow, past the Red, and finally…

It completely disappeared.

As her body started to glow and flicker, my eyes widened in absolute terror. "Asuna… Asuna…! You can't… you can't be…"

A solitary tear rolled down her face, and she smiled up at me from her spot in my arms. She looked like she was struggling just to hold her head up, as if her body was getting heavy with each passing second as her life force started to dissipate.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, still forcing a sad smile.

_No! No, no, NO!_

"Goodbye."

With that, her body began to glow brighter, expanding ever-so-slightly before it exploded into white polygons of all shapes. For some strange reason, her rapier fell to the ground un-shattered, as if it still had business in this world even after its owner died.

I desperately chased after the polygons as they floated away, hoping against hope that if I brought them back together, she would come back to life.

When I realized my efforts were futile, I fell to my knees, tears streaming down my face.

"Kirito! Catch!" I heard Klein shout before feeling the wind rushing as an item flew at me from his direction.

Catching the item, I looked at it for a second before recognizing the item as the «Divine Stone of Returning Soul», the revival item from when I fought «Nicolas the Renegade».

_He kept it all this time…? Wait a second! With this, I can revive Asuna!_

Looking up with newfound hope, I shouted, "Player Revive: Asuna!"

The polygons slowly started to form back together, and soon her body had completely reformed, laying on the ground. She slowly sat up, looking at me curiously.

"K-Kirito-kun…?"

I met her gaze, looking down with wide eyes. "You're alive… right?"

"Yeah… I'm alive."

She got up, grabbing her «Lambent Light» from the ground next to her. "Let's beat him… together!"

It was then that I was made painfully aware of the agonizing feeling coming from my chest. I slowly opened my eyes, finding Heathcliff's sword pierced through me.

_Was it… only a hallucination? Is Asuna… still dead?_

I looked around the boss room, seeing no signs of her presence. She was really dead.

_I guess it really was… just a dream… and nothing more._

At this point, I realized, I should have already received the «You are dead» message in the center of my vision. I looked up at my HP bar, then widened my eyes in shock.

_My HP… it's going up! But why…?_

Then it clicked.

_My «Battle Healing» skill! It's regenerating my HP faster than being stabbed is draining it!_

Heathcliff also seemed to have realized this, so I took full advantage of his shocked stupor. I pulled his sword out of my chest, and in his shocked state, he didn't even notice.

I turned around, walking back to where my «Elucidator» had fallen next to Asuna's rapier, picking them both up and slowly walking back to Heathcliff. My speed slowly began to increase until I was in a full-on sprint, and when I reached him, I stabbed him with each of the weapons in my hands.

"HAAAA!"

His HP began to drop. A few seconds later, when it his zero and disappeared, everything around us started getting brighter.

_What's going on?!_

He smirked devilishly. "I'll be seeing you again very soon, Kirito-kun. I hope you'll have the courtesy to wait for me."

"Wha—"

The room started getting brighter, and after a few seconds, I realized exactly what he meant. It was only too late that the entire room was engulfed in a white light.

Then everything, all the memories of my time here in «Aincrad», started playing in reverse.

I felt myself slowly losing consciousness, succumbing to the white void just as my memories stopped rewinding.

* * *

When I awoke, I rubbed my eyes tiredly, then looked around. Seeing absolutely nothing, I instantly realized that all of the events in the seventy-fifth floor boss room had not been a dream.

"What… what happened?" I whispered, looking around for any signs of… anything. "Did the system shut down…?"

"Yes," a female voice said, its source seeming to originate from behind me. "And it is slowly resetting to SAO's launch date, along with time itself. In a few minutes, you will find yourself in the day of the official launch two years ago, with no memories of what is transpiring here."

I quickly turned around, my eyes widening with shock. "You mean to tell me that all it takes for _time itself_ to rewind is a system meltdown?! Is the «Cardinal System» _really_ that powerful?!"

"Yes. It is more powerful than you could ever imagine."

"Wait…" I said, looking at her with a new hope. "If time is rewinding, does that mean that everyone who died in SAO will come back to life as if they never died?"

"Yes."

_Then that means that Asuna will be alive again!_

"Would you like to ensure your loved ones' survival?"

_Huh?_

When I realized what she was implying, I jumped at the chance. "Of course! But before I really accept, I need to know… what's the catch?"

"You will be given a task. The task of defeating Kayaba Akihiko and ending this world. You and four others have been given this task, ant they have all have accepted already. You may even know some of them," the mysterious woman told me, giving me a warm smile.

"All right…" I whispered, gaining a determined look. "If it means saving my friends and loved ones, I'll do whatever it takes! I accept!"

"A wise choice," she said. "Very well. Now, I have a few… gifts… for you."

"Such as?"

"The first… you will start the game with the «Dual-Wielding» skill, though I recommend keeping it a secret, even from your closest friends. The second gift is two swords from mini-bosses on the ninetieth floor. You won't be able to use them until the fiftieth floor, and even then I suggest you be discreet.

"The third and final gift is the ability to use «Dual-Wielding» skills without the system assist, but only when you master it," she finished.

I looked at her, my eyes narrowed. "So every gift you're giving me has a catch," I said dryly.

"What were you expecting?" she said, giving me a smile contradictory to her tone. "Now, time will resume soon, so I must be going. I wish you luck, «First Champion»."

And with that, the woman walked away, her body turning to a wisp of smoke that blew away in the nonexistent wind.

Everything went black.

* * *

"Take care… I'll be seeing you, Klein." I said, feeling terrible for not being able to help more. I started to walk away further into the dark alleyway.

"… Kirito! You look way cooler than your avatar ever did!" he said playfully.

Obviously, he was trying to lighten my spirit, with little success. I smiled bitterly.

"And that rugged look suits you ten times better!" I replied as I swallowed my sorrow.

_I wonder if I'll ever see him again…_

I ran a bit down the alleyway, and when I was about to reach the corner, I began to have second thoughts about leaving Klein. When I looked back to see if he was still there, I was greeted with an empty alley, with no signs that he had ever been there.

He was gone.

Tears built up in my eyes, and I ran. Past the alley, past the «Starting City», and into the field beyond.

I remembered my cousin and aunt earlier that day, who were being so nice to me. They were probably crying for me, planning to stay in whatever hospital room I had been moved to until visiting hours closed. They must have been hoping in vain that I would wake up, take off the «Nerve Gear» and be just fine.

A «Dead Wolf Cub» spawned seven meters in front of me, growling ferociously. I drew my sword with a shout, my rage unwavering. I wouldn't let the pitiful mob slow me down in the slightest.

_I got this!_

I put my sword into the position to activate a dashing «Sword Skill».

_I can do this!_

I jumped, the skill having just finished charging. The mob started to run at me, baring its teeth viciously.

_This world can't beat me!_

"HA!"

My skill made contact with the wolf, sending me flying past it as it shattered into hundreds polygons.

_I will survive!_

"HAAAAAAA!"

* * *

Three weeks later

The «Dead Wolf» was, without a doubt, the deadliest mob on floor one. When attacked, one of them will transition into «Alpha Mode», howling to spawn five more that follow its command. Not to mention that they were level nine, second only to the floor boss.

At that moment, I found myself surrounded by five of the beasts, having taken down one of the pack already.

_Skill time!_

«End Revolver»

With a double-spin attack, I sent them all flying back, the stunning effect of the skill making them fall to the ground due to paralysis. I proceeded to hack one of them to pieces, the resulting polygon explosion blinding me briefly.

With four left, I waited until they had all come out of the paralysis, then started to back away slowly. They all came towards me, falling into a perfectly straight line. As soon as I backed into a tree, I decided it was time to let loose.

«Dance of Wind»

I dashed forward with a speed that made me look like a blur, hitting the first «Dead Wolf» with two strikes to the chest before phasing through it and doing the same to the one behind it. This process repeated until the skill all the mobs had been hit by two strikes, and when I appeared behind the last one, I turned around. I swung each of my swords outwards in a powerful cleave, creating a shockwave that went through the wolf mobs, shattering each of them into polygons upon contact.

After the shower of white polygons dissipated, I unequipped my second sword due to the possibility that I might be seen, then walked up to where the last one was destroyed to inspect my winnings.

"That was exciting," I said, opening the window. "Looks like I gained two levels from all that grinding. Puts me at level eleven. Now, time to check the drops list."

I scrolled down the list of items dropped from all the «Dead Wolves», finding both items I was looking for at the top of the list.

"Looks like I got both my «Werewolf's Blade» and her «Dead Wolf Claws». She'll be pretty happy when she sees this."

I heard rustling in the bushes nearby, and when I looked over, I saw a cloaked brunette jump out at me, landing only centimeters from my face. She backed away, giving me a smirk as she watched my flustered reaction.

_What the hell?!_

"Hey, Ki-bou!" she shouted cheerfully, giving me a peace sign. "Did I hear you say, '«Dead Wolf Claws»'? I really hope I did!"

I sighed, putting a hand to my forehead. "Yeah, I just got them, Argo. I trust you'll keep up your end of the deal?"

"What do you take me for? I'm not a liar," she replied, waving her hand dismissively.

"True enough."

I opened up my menu, sending a trade request through to Argo, putting her claws in my end. She quickly offered up several items used to do major upgrades at a smith shop, and we both hit the «Accept Trade» button. The window then disappeared, having served its function.

_Now I'll be able to upgrade both of my swords to the max level without a hitch._

"I just have one question, Argo," I said, causing her to look up from her menu. "How the heck did you get all those items so fast? It's only been three days since we struck the deal."

"Trade secret, Ki-bou!" she said happily, giving me a smirk. "But if you really want to know, I'll tell you… for a price."

"Nah," I declined, beginning to walk away. "I'll be seeing you, Argo."

"Wait!"

I turned my head so that I could see Argo out of the corner of my eye. "What's up?"

"I have some info for you that I think you might find interesting. I'll tell you free of charge as a little thank you for getting the claws faster than I expected."

_If she's telling me _anything_ for free, she must want me to do something about it. Well, let's hear what she has to say, I guess._

"Okay, I'll hear what you have to say."

"All right," she replied, and I could see in her eyes that she was doing a little victory dance inside her head.

_Oh, boy._

"So, while I was on my way to check on you, I found a rapier-wielding player that looked almost as strong as you in the fields just east of here. I watched her for a little while, and even though she was really skilled, she completely overkilled every mob she faced. I think it might be in both of your best interests if you were to go check it out. Who knows, maybe you'll be able to teach her a thing or two."

Actually feeling interested in this one, I said, "Thanks for the info. I'll go check on her."

"Don't mention it!" she replied turning to walk away. "I'll see you around!"

"Yeah, I'll see ya," I whispered.

With that, we parted ways.

* * *

As I walked through the fields east of the «Dead Forest», looking for the player Argo mentioned, I sighed deeply.

_Maybe she's already gone… it's about midnight, after all._

Just as I was beginning to lose hope, I heard the sound of a sword thrusting into the virtual flesh of a mob. I broke into a run, hoping to catch the supposed rapier-wielding girl in action. When I reached the scene, I skidded to a halt, ducking behind a large rock as I watched the amazing fight in front of me.

There was a cloaked girl no more than five meters away from me, fighting a «Dead Wolf Cub» with ease. She thrusted her rapier so quickly that I couldn't even follow her blade, hitting it with several normal hits before starting a chain of «Linears».

_She's leveled her «One-handed Sword Skill» enough to unlock the «Rapier» skill, and she's using it decently, so she must be the girl Argo was talking about._

After about five «Linears», she stopped, gasping for air as the cub finally shattered into hundreds of polygons. I could almost _feel_ her fatigue radiating off of her, so I materialized a flask of water before walking up to her.

"Nice kill! You have some real potential," I told her, giving her a small smile as she turned to face me. "Care for something to drink?"

She met me in the middle, and I could feel the thirst radiating off of her body as she said, "Thank you."

Before she grabbed it, I pulled it away. "Not so fast. We need to sit down. I can literally _feel _your exhaustion."

We walked over to the rock I had hidden behind while I watched her fight. I let her sit down, since there was only room for one person.

I handed her the flask, watching her drink from it greedily. "Like I was saying, you showed some real promise," I told her. "There are a few things about your fight that worried me, though."

"Like what?" she asked me after successfully emptying my flask.

"Well, you started spamming «Linears» near the end. You were going so fast that the system didn't have the time to react, so you ended up with massive overkill. The cub's HP actually dropped to zero on the second «Linear», which only proves my point. Spamming skills on a single mob will get you killed if you're fighting more than one at a time, since using too many skills too fast will result in a longer post-motion delay."

"I killed. I got the EXP. Isn't that all that matters in getting stronger?"

"I don't think so, but I'll save that for later," I said, putting my hand to my forehead once again. "I know this is a bit random, but do you think you could tell me your level?"

"I'm level ten. Why?"

_What the hell?! She should've been able to kill it on only one «Linear», then!_

"If that's true, then it should have only taken one skill to kill that mob… wait, I think I get it now."

"Get what?"

I was almost afraid of asking the next question, but I knew I had to do it anyway. "Do you know how to distribute «Stat Points» correctly?"

I was expecting her to say no. To have distributed them horribly. Anything but what came next.

"«Stat Points»? What are those?"

I slouched in exasperation, thinking,_ this girl… is hopeless._

I turned my gaze to the cloaked girl, looking at her intently. "Okay, we need to talk… but not here. Come with me."

I grabbed her hand, earning a small squeak of surprise as I began leading her through the field.

_This is gonna be a long night…_

* * *

When we arrived at a large, ornate white building with silver trim and marble pillars surrounding it, I turned around to face her. "This is a house I earned as a quest reward for beating the hardest quest on this floor. Come in, you'll be welcome."

She walked in wordlessly. A few seconds later, she stopped in her tracks. The inside of the house had a more extravagant look to it, with crimson and gold-colored walls. It had two floors bridged by two spiral staircases that led up to two upper sections. The left staircase led to the kitchen, bathroom and dining room, and the right led to my one bedroom, which only had one piece of furniture: a crimson-hued bed.

I walked to the left one, turning around once I reached it to give the cloaked girl a gentle smile. "Well, I'll bet you're starving right now, so let's get something to eat before we talk. Sound good?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

A few minutes later, as I cooked a meal for this girl I barely knew, I began to think about all that had transpired.

_Man, this has been a crazy night…_

Not much later, I was snapped out of my thoughts by a timer going off, signaling that the meal I had cooked was finally done. I pulled it out of my small oven that came with the house, setting it down on the table. I put its contents onto two plates, passing one to the cloaked girl before sitting down myself.

"Eat up," I said, laughing nervously. "I'm not expecting much, since I haven't leveled my cooking skill that much, but I hope you can get it down…"

"Don't worry, it's good. Thanks for the meal."

I watched as she resumed eating at a breakneck pace, an amused smile tugging at my lips. I was soon snapped out of my gaze by the girl saying, "Are you going to eat anything?"

My stomach growled with more fury than I had ever heard in a mob, making my face turn red with embarrassment. "Yeah, I'm starving!" I exclaimed, trying to cover it up.

The cloaked girl giggled in response, making me scowl as I hastened my pace in eating my food.

* * *

After we both finished eating, I decided it was time to get down to business. "All right. First, you need to bring up your menu."

"Okay."

"Right. Do you see the plus sign in the center of your stat screen? There should be a number next to it. That's how many «Stat Points» you have. You gain four for every level you have, not counting level one. What's the number?"

"Thirty-six."

_So she really is level ten._

"Okay, push the plus sign next to the number thirty-six."

"Got it."

"Good. You should see smaller plus signs next to the three stat numbers below the first plus sign. You're using a rapier build, so… for every level, put two points into VIT, which increases HP and defense. Then put one point into AGI, which increases your evasion rate and overall movement speed, and one point into DEX, which increases your physical control slightly. For now, just put eighteen points into VIT, nine into AGI, and nine into DEX."

After a few taps, I heard her say, "Okay, done."

"Hit the confirm button that popped up where the first plus button was, and it'll keep your «Stat Point» distribution."

One more tap and she closed her menu, turning her hooded face towards me. "Thanks for the help. If you don't mind, I have one more favor to ask of you, though."

"What's up?" I asked her, looking into her hood curiously.

"Could… could I maybe spend the night here? I don't have enough money left to buy another night at the inn I was staying at…"

_With all the leveling she's been doing, that has to be a lie, but… still, I want to help her. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm drawn to her… weird._

Against my better judgment, I found myself accepting. "Well, that's fine, but… there's just one problem."

"What's that?" she asked me nervously.

"Well, I only have one bed, and I don't have any furniture for me to sleep on."

"That's all right… just don't _do _anything, okay?"

I had to stop myself from choking on my own tongue. Luckily, I was able to do so before saying, "You have my word."

_Well, I was going to offer to sleep on the floor, but if she's okay with it, then…_

* * *

I had let my new cloaked friend to go to my bed first, seeing as I had to clean up in the kitchen. When I got back to my bedroom, I wasn't surprised to find her asleep under the covers. I slowly lay down next to her, careful not to wake her up as I crawled under the blankets. As soon as I finished, I fell deep in thought.

_Man, today was the most eventful day since the official launch day. I found the sword I was looking for, completed the trade with Argo for the upgrade items, met a skillful rapier-wielding girl who doesn't even take off her cloak when she falls asleep, taught her how do correctly use her «Stat Points», and now…_

I looked over at the girl, a light dusting of pink spreading across my cheeks.

_Now she's sleeping in the same bed with me. I'm not sure what's gonna come next, but I do know one thing…_

I looked up at my crimson ceiling, smiling softly.

_Life is gonna be really interesting from now on._

With that, I fell into a deep sleep, filled with dreams about the day's events.

* * *

**A/N:**

**How'd you like it? Is it better or worse than the last? You can let me know by reviewing, faving or PMing me! If you don't like it, you can tell me that, too!**

**So, for the pairings in the harem, I think I'll tell you which pairings will be added with each passing chapter, just so that you know who's going to be in it.**

**All right, that's enough about that! It's time for the disclaimer!**

**I don't own the Sword Art Online light novel series or any of its adaptations!**

**Ciao!**


	2. Chapter 2: Beater

FATAL ERROR: SYSTEM REBOOT

Final Reset

Chapter Two: Beater

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey, guys! So yeah, it looks like this is a thing! Just a heads-up: from now on, the revisions will make the chapters MUCH longer. Most of you will like this, I'm sure. Also, I might rewrite chapter eight for this story, just to make the chapter numbers consistent. (Though that's contingent on if the story hasn't gone down a completely different path by then.)**

**Anyway, I know the followers of FESR were pretty confused when I made that time-skip that completely skipped over Yami's subplot, to I'll try to remedy that this time around by actually writing that part out. That'll make thing take a bit longer, but also hopefully clear some things up.**

**All right, I think that's about it!**

**See ya at the bottom!**

* * *

_I had let my new cloaked friend to go to my bed first, seeing as I had to clean up in the kitchen, so when I got back to my bedroom, I wasn't surprised to find her asleep under the covers. I slowly lay down next to her, careful not to wake her up as I crawled under the covers. As soon as I finished, I fell deep in thought._

Man, today was the most eventful day since the official launch day… I found the sword I was looking for, completed the trade with Argo for the upgrade items, met a skillful rapier-wielding girl who doesn't even take off her cloak when she falls asleep, taught her how do correctly use her «Stat Points», and now…

_I looked over at the girl, a light dusting of pink spreading across my cheeks._

Now she's sleeping in the same bed with me. I'm not sure what's gonna come next, but I do know one thing…

_I looked up at my crimson ceiling, smiling softly._

Life is gonna be really interesting from now on.

_With that, I fell into a deep sleep, filled with dreams about the day's events._

* * *

I woke up to a pair of arms around my waist. For the sixth time that week, my cloaked friend had shown her affectionate side clearly as she slept, but I knew it wouldn't last long. Soon she would be awake, and her clinginess would be replaced with her usual emotionless demeanor.

_Is it weird that I know what her body feels like, yet I still have yet to see her face? Probably, but whatever._

Seconds later, her body shifted ever-so-slightly, and I could tell she had awoken. She must have still been half asleep, since she hadn't started sitting up yet.

_Of course, now I have to explain what's been happening. Sure, I'm not the one initiating, but still, it would look pretty damn suspicious._

"Mm… Kirito-kun?" she said slowly, yawning as she moved her hooded head up to look at me. For no more than a fraction of a second, I thought I saw a strand of chestnut-brown hair peak out from her cloak.

_So that's what her hair color is…_

When I informed her of my in-game name six days ago, she insisted on adding the honorific, -kun to the end of my name for reasons unknown to me. After all, it was only an in-game name, so there was no point in giving a fake name an honorific. No matter how many times I tried to explain this to her, she didn't give in.

"_Kirito-kun is Kirito-kun!"_

She said that on the third day after I told her my name, which, not-so-coincidentally, was the day I gave up trying to correct her.

Soon enough, her eyes bulged open wide, and then she released her hold on me, backing up to the edge of the bed and into a wall. "Aah! I'm so sorry!"

I sighed, trying to suppress an amused smile as I asked, "What for?"

"I-I was clinging to you…"

"Oh, that?" I said, giving her a gentle smile. "No need to worry, I'm used to it. After all, in real life— never mind."

"What happened in real life?"

_Doesn't she know about the unspoken rule? You're not supposed to tell people about your life in the real world… well, whatever. I feel like I can trust her._

I sighed, looking away. "In real life, my sister is afraid of thunder. Whenever there was a thunderstorm, she would come to my room and sleep next to me."

"Wow, that's nice of you…"

I looked around the room, remembering that there was somewhere we had to be, but not remembering where it was.

_Come on, think! I know I have to go somewhere today, and it's really important! Come on, don't do this, brain! … Wait a second, that's it!_

"Well, we need to get to «Tolbana». They're having a meeting to strategize on how to clear the first floor boss. I can't miss it, seeing as I'm probably the strongest player, and I need to help out," I said, looking at her intently.

I saw her look down, and I could feel the nervousness coming from her. "R-right…"

_Why is she so nervous? Wait, is that why?_

"Hey, if you don't want to help beat the boss, I won't force you. You can stay here."

I got up out of bed, opening my menu and equipping my battle clothes: brown leather armor and a blue shirt underneath.

_I need to go. I feel bad for leaving her here, but I need to focus on clearing the game… for her sake, as well as everyone else's._

I walked towards the door, and just before I exited my bedroom, I heard a shout.

"Wait!"

"It's all right, I'll be back," I reassured her, turning back and giving her a smile.

"No, I'll come with…" she said. " I was just a little scared, that's all."

"Don't worry, I can guarantee that you're one of the best players in the game right now," I reassured her, smiling at her softly.

"Okay… thanks. Let's go."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, we arrived at «Tolbana», and I looked around for the weapons district.

"Where are we going?" my cloaked friend asked me as I looked around.

"Well, I made sure we got here a little early so that I could upgrade your weapon, as well as fully upgrade my own," I told her, walking in the direction where the weapons district was located. "Come on."

I grabbed her hand, leading her through the weapons district. When I saw the shop I had been searching for, I shouted, "Hey, Liz!"

A girl with her hair dyed pink peeked out from the shop's door, looking around until she spotted me. "Oh, Kirito! How've you been? I haven't seen you since you helped me get this shop building from that quest!"

_Oh, so _that's_ what she remembers?_

We walked up to 'Liz's' shop, and she let us in, closed the door behind us and walked around us. She went behind her counter, then gave me a smirk. "So, who's your friend? You two seem awful close!"

It was then that I realized that I was still holding my cloaked friend's hand. I quickly let go, a light pink color appearing on my cheeks. Asuna looked down at this, seeming disappointed that I let go.

"Well, I've been training her and letting her stay at my house, so I guess we're pretty close…" I said, laughing a nervous laugh as I scratched the back of my head.

_I'll never hear the end of this!_

"Oh, is that so?" Liz said, smirking deviously, a few seconds later, her smirk disappeared, replaced by a genuine smile. "Any friend of Kirito's is a friend of mine! My name is Lisbeth! So, what's your name?"

"Don't even bother asking," I told her. "She hasn't told me, and I've been letting her stay in my house for six days already."

"Oh, okay," Lisbeth said. "Anyway, what did you two come for?"

"I came here to fully upgrade her weapon, as well as finish upgrading mine," I told Lisbeth, putting my sword on the counter. My cloaked friend took the hint, putting her rapier on top of my sword before backing away. "Since we're going on a boss raid today."

I expected her to object, to say I was crazy, but for some reason, she didn't have anything to say. All she did was give me an angry look.

I opened up a trade menu, putting in the necessary materials and Col for all the upgrades. I waited for her to accept, and when she did, we both closed out windows.

Lisbeth sighed, and I could sense her getting into her smith mode. "Okay. Let's go in back."

"There's a back room to this shop?" the cloaked girl next to me queried.

"Well, it's really more of a basement than a back room," Lisbeth said sheepishly, opening a door behind her. She gestured for us to come inside, and when we walked in, she began to blush lightly. "Sorry, I forgot how messy it was in here."

I looked around, finding that the back room had many weapons strewn about the place, most of them looking like they had seen better days.

_Well, someone's been busy…_

"What's with all the weapons?" I queried, looking around.

"Well, after I started making a name for myself as one of the best player smiths in the game so far, people began constantly coming into my shop and asking me to repair or upgrade their weapons. This lot is just from last night and this morning, so you haven't even seen the half of it," Lisbeth said, rubbing the back of her head.

_Damn, that must be hard._

"Ah, I see," I said. "Sorry about adding to your workload, Liz."

"No, no, don't worry about it!" the pinkette shouted, waving her hands frantically. "I'm always glad to help a friend!"

"Thanks," I said, giving her a warm smile. An amused smile tugged at my lips as I watched her cheeks gain a light pink hue.

"No problem! Now, what say we upgrade your weapons?"

Twenty minutes later, my cloaked friend and I walked out of Lisbeth's shop, heading towards the area where the boss meeting would take place in mere minutes.

_Man, now more than ever, I'm wishing I was part of the clearing group in the beta when everyone was on the first floor. I could have found the boss room and given the map data to everyone by now._

I paused mid-step in front of a large, bronze statue of «Aincrad», looking at the plaque at its base.

* * *

_This steel castle, floating endlessly in the sky of infinite_

_This is your world, and yours alone_

_Take hold of your destiny and shape it_

_Into one you can call your own_

* * *

I focused on the first word, noticing a patch of some kind of complex code under it, presumably the code that the «Cardinal System» used.

_The heck?_

After giving it one more confused look, I walked on, Asuna following closely behind. I was made painfully aware of this by how she held my hand timidly, which only reinforced my guilt.

_She's become far too attached to me. I'm a solo player, so I can't have anyone tying me down… but I can't just abandon her… what am I gonna do?_

I looked around for the meeting point, and suddenly, an idea struck me.

_They'll probably want to form a raid group for the boss fight. I'll just have her party with someone else for the fight, and hopefully they'll befriend each other. That would make her less dependent on me, which would help me cut my ties…_

I was distracted from my thoughts by a pole right in front of me as I bumped into— I mean, as it attacked me.

"Ouch…" I whispered, putting my right hand to my head.

"Are you okay?" my cloaked comrade asked me, reaching to check my head.

"Don't touch me…" I whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.

"W-what's wrong?" she asked me, her voice sounding very fragile.

_I'm sorry. I need you to be strong… without me._

I shook my head, walking away. She followed me closely, though I could sense her hesitancy to do so. It was as if she was scared that I would lash out again.

I turned around to ace the cloaked girl, and she nearly ran into me. "Hey, I'm sorry for lashing out at you earlier," I told her, looking down. "I have a lot on my mind."

She immediately embraced me tightly, and I was taken aback by the sudden display of affection.

_What…?_

"I was worried that you hated me…" she whispered, voice shaky.

_I see… I guess I was too harsh on her. I'll need to be more gentle in trying to separate us from now on._

I smiled softly, pushing her away gently so she could see my face. "Don't worry, I don't hate you. I don't think I could."

"All… all right."

I walked backwards until I was fully out of her grip, then grabbed her hand to comfort her as we made our way to our destination.

* * *

When we got to the meeting point, I saw several strong-looking players standing around. A few minutes later, everyone started walking towards another area.

_Looks like it's time for the meeting to start._

Once we arrived at our destination, I looked around at the scenery.

The place we had all arrived at looked like an ancient amphitheater built on a hill, with several rows of curved stone benches arranged in a semicircle around a smaller semicircular stage-like platform at the bottom.

Soon enough, a man with above average armor, a small shield and bright blue hair walked up onto the stage. He clapped his hands, then turned and looked each of us in the eye. When his gaze fell on me, I couldn't help but notice the weird expression he gave me.

_What is he trying to say with that look? It's like he knows something about me…_

He then turned his face back to the crowd, addressing us all with, "Okay, everyone! It looks like everyone's here now, so how about we get this show on the road?"

Realizing that I had been standing, I sat down. My cloaked friend sat beside me, looking intently at the Blue-haired man.

_That must have been it,_ I concluded. _He just wanted us to sit down._

"So anyway, I want to start off by thanking everyone here for coming. It's good to see so many people willing to help out," he said. "My name is Diabel! And in this game…"

I watched in amusement as he pounded his chest with his right hand, almost as if he were a military officer. "The job I rolled is knight!"

The majority of the crowd started laughing at his ridiculous statement, and even I cracked a small smile, though for an entirely different reason.

_I can tell… he's doing that to lighten the tension. Still, Diabel… I think I know that name… it definitely sounds familiar, that's for sure._

One of the amused players shouted, "Seriously, man! There's no job system in this game!"

Another said, "A knight? Yeah, right!"

"Do you guys want to hear this or not? I have some really important news here!" Diabel shouted at everyone with mock irritation.

Silence.

_That shut them all up._

"Right! So anyway, here's the deal. When my party and I were exploring the boss tower earlier today…" Diabel started, drawing the attention of everyone in the amphitheater.

"We found the boss room."

Everyone sans Asuna, me, and a few others gasped, beginning to murmur amongst themselves.

_I figured that that was what the meeting was all about…_

"So, here's what we need to do!" Diabel started, his voice oozing with charisma. "First, we need to defeat the boss and make it to floor two! Then, we have to come back and tell everyone on the first floor that it _is_ possible to beat this game! Who's with me?"

After a second or two of murmuring, he dramatically raised his right hand into the air and clenched it into a fist. "The fact is, it's our duty as the most capable players in the game! Do you agree? Or not?"

Silence.

After a few seconds, the players started murmuring amongst one another. This kept on for a few more seconds, until someone finally came up with a response.

He clapped.

Another joined in, then another, and another, until the entire area was filled with the sound of clapping and cheering.

_This guy's a really good motivator. He could be the leader of the clearing group…_

I just sat there with my cloaked friend, smiling at the players' unity.

_This boss fight will be a cinch if the players can keep this sense of unity._

Diabel looked at me once more, probably noticing that I wasn't clapping. When he saw my smile, however, he looked away, seeming satisfied with my nonverbal answer.

"Okay, it's great to see you're all with me on this one!" Diabel shouted enthusiastically. "Now, to start off, we'll team into parties of six! A regular party doesn't stand a chance against a floor boss. We need a raid group made of…"

It was then that I remembered my plan.

_That's right… I have to break my ties here. She needs to become less dependent on me, and I need to stop feeling this stupid desire to have friends in this world._

I looked down, steeling myself for what I would say next.

"You should party with a group that'll actually be able to help you," I told her, looking at her intently. "Even if I'm one of the best, I'm still just one person. I don't want to drag you down."

"Idiot."

_Huh?_

"I'm partying with you."

_Damn it! This isn't working! She doesn't get it!_

"Why do you want to party with me? I'll only slow you down…"

"B-because you're the only one I know here, idiot," she retorted.

_She looks so deadest on this… I need to try to deter her somehow… but she won't budge. Well, I guess I have no choice for now. I'll just disband our party and slip away after the boss fight ends._

I sighed. "All right. I'm sending an invite over."

I opened up my menu, going into the party sub-menu. I sent a party invite over to my cloaked friend.

_Since she probably doesn't know how._

She quickly made the motions to accept, and I soon found her HP bar under my own in the top-left corner of my vision. I looked at the name next to it, knowing that she wouldn't have a clue.

_So her name is Asuna…_

With my curiosity sated, I turned back to the blue-haired man, only to find him staring straight at me with a strange look on his face.

_Okay, now I _know_ something's up._

A few seconds later, he turned back to the crowd. "All right, it looks like everyone's ready! Now then—"

"Hold on a sec!"

Diabel looked up at the player who cut him off with a tired expression. The player apparently had more important things to do than help everyone escape this death game, for he had arrived more than ten minutes late. He stood atop the giant steps, his dark orange, cactus-shaped hair blocking the virtual sun.

He jumped down the stone benches several at a time, grunting unnecessarily all the way, until he landed on the stage where Diabel stood.

The player, aside from his ridiculous hairstyle, had nothing special about him but his chest plate, which seemed more expensive than anything else he had. The rest of his equipment, aside from his sword, all looked like it might have even been the started equipment. His sword looked to be the second sword available from the second-rate shops.

_Man, this guy's an idiot. Everything other than his chest plate and sword are just parts of the starting equipment, and even then, his sword is still second-rate. Unless it's a classed drop, which I doubt, it probably won't do a thing against the boss._

"My name's Kibaou, got it memorized?" the cactus-haired player shouted at all of us.

_What he lacks in power, he certainly makes up for with his asshole attitude._

He then continued with, "Before we take on the boss, I just want to get something off my chest!"

_This won't end well. Wait a second… oh, crap! I know where this is going!_

"We all know about the two thousand players who died so far, right? Well, some of you need to apologize to them right now! You know who you are!"

_Shitshitshit! I was right!_

Whispers of accusation rang throughout the area, and I could feel the tension rise back up.

"Kibaou, I think I know what you're getting at," Diabel said grimly, almost as if he was guilty. "You're talking about the beta-testers, aren't you?"

"No shit!" Kibaou shouted rudely. "The day this stupid-assed game started, the beta players just left us in the dust, right? They left us beginners for dead!"

Apparently not satisfied with his current amount of ass-like comments, he continued his verbal onslaught with just as much force as before. "They stole all the good grinding spots, and even grabbed all the easy quests! They're the only one's getting stronger here! This whole time, they've just ignored us like we're the dirt they walk on!"

He growled fiercely, apparently _still_ not satisfied with verbally beating the crap out of the beta-testers. "Hell, I bet there's some of them here! Get your asses out here, beta-testers!"

And yet, despite all the damage he had inflicted on my pride, he still wasn't done. "We should make them apologize to us, give up their money, _and_ the items they've horded for themselves!"

_Damn it…!_

Normally, I wouldn't even _consider_ complying with his completely unreasonable demands, but the girl sitting next to me put that selfish part of me into a bind.

_She trusts me! If she finds out I'm a tester and I didn't give in, she'll hate me for sure!_

Just before I was about to swallow my selfish pride and actually go down there, I heard a deep voice interject.

"Can I say something?"

I looked to the voice's source, only to find an intimidatingly tall man that looked in no way even _remotely_ Japanese. He got up from his seat, walking down to the stage and up to Kibaou, staring the cactus-haired player down.

He began to speak, his voice completely unreadable. "Hey, my name's Egil. You're Kibaou, right? I want to make sure I heard you straight. You say that the testers should be blamed for the rookies' deaths for not helping them. You want them to apologize and give up everything they have. I leave anything out?"

"No, you didn't," Kibaou said indignantly, though _anyone_ could easily see his fear of the dark-skinned giant.

Egil got out a small book (well, small compared to his giant hands) from his pocket. "You get one of these? It's a guide book. All the item stores give these out for free."

"Sure I got one! Who wouldn't?" Kibaou said angrily, as if the statement offended him. "What of it?"

I connected the dots in a fraction of a second, and when I did, I cracked a smile.

_This guy's pretty good. I remember Argo saying she compiled all kinds of information into all the guide books so far and paid for it to be distributed to all the item stores. She told me she published my section on the basics of «Sword Skills» as chapter five, if I remember right._

"You know who made these? Who paid the system for these to be distributed infinitely in all the item stores?" Egil asked the crowd. "That's right. The ex-testers."

Everyone in the area shared a shocked gasp, all at the same time.

"Listen up, people," Egil continued. "Everyone had equal access to this info. Even so, two thousand players died. Now, I didn't come here to point fingers. I'm here 'cause I wanna learn from their deaths. I'm _here_ because I wanna help beat the first floor boss!"

Silence.

With one last defeated growl, Kibaou turned his head sharply, then walked back to the front-middle bench. Egil followed suit, sitting next to him.

_He probably wants to keep Kibaou from making another scene._

Diabel sensed that the conflict had stopped, and thus, started to speak again. "Okay, can we get back to the meeting?"

When he received no objections, he continued with, "Good. Now, for info on the boss, it's all in the latest edition of the guide book you just heard about, and I just so happen to have one right here!"

As he pulled out a guide book from his pocket, the crowd gasped once more.

_God, they are _way_ too excitable._

He opened the book, reading its contents to us.

_Though it doesn't look like he's actually reading it. Maybe he memorized it before the meeting._

"—The boss's name is «Illfang the Kobold Lord». Also, it says he'll be surrounded by his minions, the «Ruin Kobold Sentinels». Looks like there'll be anywhere from three to six at any given time. Illfang carries an axe and a buckler. He has four health bars, and when the last one enters the Red, all the sentinels will disappear. He'll also ditch his axe and buckler for a curved sword-type weapon called a «Tulwar». He'll change his attack patterns to fit his weapon, too."

He closed the book, putting it back in his pocket. "That's it for the briefing. As for who gets the loot, the money will be divided equally among everyone. The party that defeats the boss gets the EXP, and whoever gets an item drop gets to keep it. Any objections?"

Silence reigned the amphitheater once more.

_How did he know the exact mechanics of loot distribution from boss fights? I can guarantee that the guide book wouldn't cover that._

After a few more seconds of silence, Diabel concluded the meeting. "Good! We leave tomorrow at ten AM sharp! Meeting adjourned, people!"

As everyone walked away, I decided to stay for a moment and watch Diabel leave.

_I know I've heard his name before… it seems like I heard it around the time of—_

"Hey, Ki-bou!" someone said, flying at me from behind.

I easily sidestepped, leaving my assailant to fly onto the ground where I once stood.

_And… I lost my train of thought._

"That hurt…" my attacker, a girl with brown hair and a matching cloak, grunted.

I sighed, helping her up. "Maybe if you didn't do that, you wouldn't have hurt yourself, Argo."

"Yeah, yeah," the brunette said, waving her hand in the air dismissively. Soon enough, her eyes found their way onto Asuna, and her face gained a devious smirk. "I see you're still with her. With how you're a solo player and all, I thought you would've just helped her out and moved on."

Asuna instinctively moved closer to me, gripping my hand with her own. "Kirito-kun, who is she?"

I turned to Asuna, giving her a gentle smile. "Don't worry, she's a good friend."

I looked back over to Argo. "So, you got my info for me?"

"Yeah, I've got it," she replied. "Did you keep up your end?"

I smirked at her, giving her a thumb up with my free hand. "Who do you think I am?"

I opened a trade window, putting her payment in it. she quickly accepted, then went into her menu and equipped her new weapon: «Undead Wolf Claws + 5».

"I knew I could count on you!" Argo said cheerily. "To answer your question, though, I'll tell you that all three of our friends are in the game, and they're all alive."

"Good that they're alive, but man, I wish they weren't here," I whispered.

"Well, I gotta go!" Argo shouted, waving at me as she began walking away. "I have another appointment. Be seeing you, Ki-bou!"

With that, we parted ways.

* * *

Later that night, as I got ready for bed (Asuna was already asleep, as usual), I was struck with a dilemma.

_Now that we're in a party, I can't go grind by myself. She'll definitely notice the level change tomorrow, and with the way I grind, I might go up two or three levels. That would definitely clue her in on my tester past._

I sighed. _I really hope level seventeen is enough._

* * *

As we all walked through the forest, sheltered from the sun's rays by the cover of the trees, I decided to go over the role designated to me and Asuna with her once more.

"Let's go over it one more time," I said. "Since you weren't paying attention when Diabel told us. We're one of the backup parties, so we're going after Illfang's lackeys, the «Ruin Kobold Sentinels»."

"I know," Asuna replied.

"Good. I'll use a skill to knock their pole axes up and out of the way. That'll leave them wide open to an attack, so when I finish, you've gotta switch in immediately and attack."

"Switch? What do you mean?"

I almost choked at her question.

_Oh, right… she's probably never been in a party before she partied with me yesterday._

"Okay, have you ever played any 2D MMOs before?"

_She must at _least_ know what a switch is in those._

"No, I'm not normally a gamer."

_Then why the hell did you want to play SAO?!_

I was tempted to shout this, but I knew that it would only hurt her. And thus, I kept quiet, holding all my thoughts to myself as I explained what switching entailed.

* * *

When we all finally reached the top of the boss dungeon, I could feel the tension in the air. I looked around, seeing determined looks on the faces of all the players around me.

_Even so, I can feel something… I can feel it… something's gonna go wrong. Someone's gonna die._

I looked at Diabel, finding him staring straight at me yet again. When he noticed me looking back, he gave me a competitive stare before he turned to look at the entire group.

Hundreds of images flashed before my eyes.

_I saw Diabel running towards a giant Red monster. When he turned to me, he gave me a smirk, and I could feel his sense of victory from where I stood, several meters away._

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a hand on my shoulder. Its owner whispered, "I'm scared…" into my ear.

I turned around to find Asuna, looking down.

"Don't worry, it's all right," I whispered back.

_Because I'll definitely protect you._

I turned my attention back to Diabel. As soon as I did, he began speaking. "Listen up, everybody. I only have one thing to say to you.

"Let's win!"

I heard grunts of determination coming from many of the players as I looked around.

"Come on!" Diabel shouted, putting his right hand onto the boss door. They automatically began to open up.

We all walked in slowly and cautiously, keeping together in the large, dimly-lit boss room. After we had all made it inside, we stopped moving, waiting for something to happen.

Yet again, I felt a sense of foreboding as I looked around, and I could feel something coming in—

_Three, two, one._

As soon as my mental countdown finished, the room lit up in a rainbow of blindingly bright colors. Just after I got over the light change, I heard the sound of a large object sailing through the air. When I looked ahead, I found the boss flying towards us.

_The hell?!_

The boss landed with a loud thump, roaring so fiercely that my ears hurt. Four health bards appeared, filling up one-by-one until they stood on top of each other. A name appeared above its head.

«Illfang the Kobold Lord»

Its crimson skin radiated killing intent, and the Blue pattern on its abdomen looked like a second mouth that would swallow us whole if we got too close. Its arms and head were incredibly small in comparison with its huge legs and even huger body, making it look like a deadly cartoon character. In its right hand lay a one-handed axe, and in its left, a buckler that was much too small to be of much use.

With several flashes of aquamarine light, three «Ruin Kobold Sentinels» spawned, all heavily armored. Their pole axes looked intimidatingly large, and I knew that in real life, one blow to the head from one would end a life.

I shivered at the thought.

The sentinels charged with the Illfang, their styles all extremely careless and sloppy.

_Well, I guess it makes sense… it's only the first floor, after all._

"COMMENCE ATTACK!" Diabel shouted his battle cry, pointing his sword at the boss before us.

And we charged.

* * *

Minutes later, the battle was going smoothly.

"Squads A and C! Go and switch in!" Diabel commanded, prompting said squads to switch with the two attacking ones.

Illfang started to swing its axe down, but Diabel saw it coming. He instantly came up with a countermeasure.

"Here is comes! Squad B, block!"

Egil singlehandedly blocked the strike with a skill from his massive axe, making way for a counterattack from Kibaou.

"All right, good!" Diabel shouted. "Everyone else, fall back, regroup and flank it!"

_This guy's insane! He's really good!_

He turned in my direction. "Squads D, E and F! Take care of those minions!"

Hearing him call my name, I rushed into action. "Yeah, you got it!"

As a sentinel came running towards me, I used a skill to knock its pole axe into the air. While it was stunned, I shouted, "Now, switch!"

"I'm on it!"

Asuna charged in, appearing in front of the mob in an instant.

_I knew she had skills,_ I thought as I watched her perform a «Linear». _But I didn't think she was _this_ good! I can't even follow the movements of her sword!_

The sentinel shattered into white polygons, only adding to the snow of shapes already in the air due to all the previously destroyed mobs.

"Good going," I whispered, giving her back a warm smile.

A few seconds later, another sentinel spawned in place of the old one, and right after I blocked its near-harmless attack, it glowed Blue once more, then disappeared.

_What the?! Wait, then that means—_

I heard the boss roaring with primal fury, and I instantly knew what had happened. Even still, I turned around to confirm my suspicions. Just like I had thought, the boss's health had depleted into the red.

Illfang tossed its giant axe and not-so-giant buckler, sending them flying into the air until they hit the ground several meters away with two loud _clangs_.

"Looks like the guide book was right," Kibaou said, his voice sounding sickeningly cocky.

_Don't get too confident, Kibaou. Just because it's in the Red doesn't mean it's any less deadly._

I heard the sound of a sole person running through the mess of players, and when I looked, I saw Diabel running towards the boss. "Stand back! I've got this! He's mine!" he shouted as he ran.

_Wait a second! I thought the plan was for the group to surround it! Why would he do that? Unless…_

I looked at him, eyes widened. As if he could feel my stare, he looked back, a victorious smirk on his face.

_He knows about the LA bonus!_

When he stood close to the boss, Diabel began to charge up a mid-level skill, one that had a long post-motion delay.

_That skill isn't _nearly_ strong enough to beat it! what the hell is he thinking?!_

Illfang grabbed the blade behind his back, swiftly pulling it out. As soon as it fully left its sheath, my blood froze in my veins.

_That's not a «Tulwar»! It's a «Nodachi»! This is bad! Even a two-hit skill would be more than enough to kill Diabel! And if it's using a different weapon, then it's attack patterns will be different!_

"Wait, stop! It's no good! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!" I screamed, desperately hoping he would understand and run away.

He didn't.

Illfang leaped into the air, kicking off of one of several pillars throughout the room. It started jumping off pillar after pillar, finally coming down a few seconds later with a two-hit skill already in motion. Within a fraction of a second, the skill made contact with Diabel's chest, leaving a deep gash before coming around in the second hit.

The last hit sent him sailing through the air until he landed several meters away.

"DIABEL! NO!" Kibaou screamed foolishly, earning the boss's attention. It jumped over to Kibaou, letting loose a deafening roar.

Paying the scenario no mind, I ran over to where Diabel landed, letting my sword go and simultaneously fishing a potion out of my pocket. "What the hell were you _thinking_?!"

When I tried to give him the potion, he blocked it with his hand. He began to speak as if he were about to die. "You know, don't you? You… were a beta-tester too, right?"

I inhaled sharply, eyes widening as I finally remembered his name.

_The «Leader»! Diabel was the leader of the «Assault Team» for most of the beta!_

"You were after the «Last Attack Bonus»… the rare item. You're just like me… a beta-tester…"

He gave me a grim expression. "Please… you have to… defeat the boss… for everyone here!"

"I promise I will, «Leader»," I told him, smiling sadly.

He returned the grim smile with one of his own. "Thank you… «Black Edge»."

_He remembered my beta title! No… no! NO!_

With that, he shattered into countless white polygons, leaving all his friends, loved ones… everyone else who cared about him… he left them all behind. I looked on in terror as the fragments of his avatar —no, his _soul_— disappeared forever.

I looked down, tears threatening to spill from my steel-gray eyes.

_When this death game started, the only thing I thought about was how I was gonna survive. Nothing else mattered. Even when Asuna came into the picture, that didn't change._

I briefly recalled that fateful day one month prior, when I had abandoned my first friend in this world.

"_Take care… I'll be seeing you, Klein."_

A sole tear escaped, and I swiftly wiped it away.

_But you, Diabel… you weren't like that. You never abandoned the other players, not even for a second. You led everyone, and you fought brilliantly! You tried to accomplish something I couldn't! I…_

I grabbed my sword once more and stood up, facing Illfang with unmatched fury.

_I won't let you down! You will be avenged!_

As Illfang roared at the players, I gripped my «Anneal Blade» tighter and tighter, not stopping until I could actually feel pain.

I heard the sound of footsteps coming towards me, and in an instant, I found Asuna at my side.

"I'll go to," she said flatly, though I could sense her fear.

"Thanks."

We simultaneously charged at the boss, our movements in perfect sync.

"We'll hit him just like the sentinels!" I shouted, looking to her for approval.

"You got it!"

When we got close enough, Illfang saw us, then began charging up a one-hit skill. I charged one of my own, and they met each other in a flash of blinding light.

"Switch!"

She began charging up a powerful «Rapier Skill» with unbelievable speed, but—

Illfang was faster.

Illfang had recovered from the recoil effect of my skill, then instantly began to aim a slash at Asuna's head.

_I have to warn her!_

"ASUNA!"

She paused for the slightest of moments, stunned that I knew her name. just in time, she realized I wanted to warn her, and she jumped out of the way. Despite her person being unharmed, her cloak was not quite as fortunate.

Even still, she charged up a «Linear» in midair.

"RAAAH!"

The boss flew back from the sheer force of the skill, a feat normally impossible for one so basic. But that wasn't what _truly_ shocked me.

Now that I saw her entire body, only one word came to my mind.

_Beautiful…_

Long chestnut hair cascaded down her back, and her matching colored eyes remained focused on the boss in an angry stare. Her gorgeous figure didn't go unnoticed by my widened eyes. There was only one word to describe her beauty.

Perfect.

I heard Illfang growl once more, and I instantly snapped my head around to find it charging at us. "He's coming back!"

When he reached us, I parried another strike from his «Nodachi», allowing Asuna to hit it with a flurry of «Linears».

The boss must have realized its mistake, for it charged at Asuna next. I ran in front of her, blocking strike after strike from the boss's giant «Nodachi».

After about ten strikes, the boss activated a low-charge-time skill. Just after I parried it, I realized my mistake.

_This skill has two hits! Crap!_

The second hit, a diagonal uppercut to the chest, sent me flying straight into Asuna. We fell to the ground, both of us dropping our swords. When I looked at my HP, I felt relieved to notice that it stopped draining just above the halfway mark. Even so, I still felt an immense pain.

_Rrgh!_

I heard Asuna gasp in horror, and when I looked up, I found Illfang in the midst of swinging down its «Nodachi» in a one-hit skill with enough damage output to end our lives. Asuna grabbed her rapier and moved to block, even though we both knew it wouldn't do a thing to protect us.

Not a second too soon, a familiar dark-skinned giant appeared before us, delivering a devastating «Whirlwind» skill with his axe that sent the boss flying backwards.

All of the players charged at the boss, weapons blazing. Egil turned back to us, giving us a determined smile. "You got «Battle Healing», right? We can hold this bastard off until your health's back to full!"

"Yeah, you got it!" I said, getting up off of Asuna before helping her up.

With that, he followed the other players and charged the boss.

They hailed him down with skill after skill for a good twenty seconds, easily long enough for my «Battle Healing» skill to completely rejuvenate me. however, after those twenty seconds, it broke free, jumping into the air to deliver an AOE skill.

I quickly ran to the scene, activating a jumping skill known as «Sonic Leap».

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, reaching Illfang halfway through his descent to the ground.

My skill made contact with his abdomen, stopping his skill and sending him careening through the air until he landed seven meters away. My post-motion delay ran out as I fell, allowing me to immediately transition into a full-on sprint once I reached the ground.

"Come on, Asuna! Help me beat this bastard for good!" I shouted, watching as she fell into step beside me.

"You got it!"

We ran at it, crying our battle cries simultaneously as I ran slightly ahead so as to block its next strike. It activated a skill while we ran, and I parried it with extreme force. Asuna then ran in and hit it with a barrage of «Linears», forcing it backwards.

I continued our assault by activating a powerful two-hit skill known as «Vertical Arc», slashing it diagonally down its midsection.

"HAAAAAAAH!"

The second and last hit went up through its head, sending a huge, Blue shockwave all the way to the edge of the room. Illfang flew high into the air, the spots where I slashed glowing brightly, and then—

«Illfang the Kobold Lord» shattered into millions of polygons, finally ending the long, grueling fight. A CONGRATULATIONS sign appeared over our heads.

Everyone just stood there, shocked into silence. Soon, however, smiles found their way onto the players' faces. After that, the room erupted into deafening cheers, but I…

I merely sat away from the crowd, wasted and gasping for air.

A window popped up ten centimeters in front of my face, reading:

* * *

_Congratulation_

_You got the last attacking bonus!_

* * *

After a second, a second window popped up in front of it.

* * *

_BONUS ITEM_

_«COAT OF MIDNIGHT»_

* * *

I heard two players walk towards me, and I soon heard their voices.

"Great job," Asuna said.

"That was some fine swordsmanship!" Egil said, giving me a smile. "Congratulations. Today's victory is all yours."

I looked down sadly, remembering Diabel's sacrifice. "No…"

_Did they forget about all that Diabel did already?_

"Yeah!" one of the players said, causing the rest of them to start cheering for me. but just as I began to accept it, it came to an end.

"STOP CHEERING!"

_Kibaou? Wait, did he—_

"Why… why did you do it?!" Kibaou said, his voice getting louder by the second. "Why'd you let Diabel die?!"

_No… I didn't… I didn't mean to…_

Desperately trying to cover up my insecurities, I repeated his last statement. "Let him die?"

"Don't you _dare_ play dumb!" he shouted. "Admit it! You knew the technique the boss was gonna use!"

_But I didn't know until the boss was about to use it!_

I wanted to shout out this objection, but I knew it wouldn't do a thing.

"You could have told us!" Kibaou shouted, his voice growing shaky. "Then Diabel would've stood a chance! He wouldn't have had to die!"

I looked at Kibaou, reduced to tears at the death of his close friend.

_I'm sorry… but I didn't know it would turn out like this…_

This time, another accusation was made… by another player. "That has to be it! he must've been a beta-tester! Just think about it! he knew the boss's attack patterns! He _knew_, but he still didn't tell us!"

I looked at my new verbal assailant in horror.

_What the hell?! Doesn't he realize that by doing this, he's only going to make the other testers even worse?!_

"I'll bet he's not the only beta-tester here! come on out, you bastards!"

People started looking around, trying to find anyone else like me. I could feel the accusations coming, and then I realized something.

_They might target Asuna!_

"Hey, calm down!" Egil said slowly, walking up to Kibaou.

"Ha… Hahaha… AHAHAHAHA!" I cackled, getting up slowly.

_I have to take the blame off of the rest of the testers… and this is all I can think of._

"So you guys think I used to be a beta-tester?" I said darkly. "It's an insult to even _compare_ me to those _scrubs_."

Kibaou looked at me, rage burning just beneath the surface of his watery eyes. "What'd you say?!"

"You heard me," I replied dryly, giving him a distasteful frown. "Most of the people who got into the beta for SAO were total newbs. They didn't even know how to level up!"

I began walking towards Kibaou, the crowd of players parting to make room.

"Hell, even you guys are better than they were."

Kibaou started to sweat as I walked towards him, almost as if he feared for his life.

"But me? I'm nothing like those guys. You can count on that."

I came to a halt only a few meters in front of Kibaou, Egil and Asuna, giving them a wicked smile before continuing. "During the beta, I made it to higher floors than _any_ of the other testers!

"I knew about the boss's changed attack patterns because I fought tone of monsters with the same «Katana Skills» _and more_ on floors way above us!"

I looked at Kibaou, giving him a condescending smirk. "I know a hell of a lot more things than you can even _imagine_. More than any info broker!"

Kibaou looked at me, his face turning from scared-white to furious-red in a matter of seconds. "Wh-what the hell?! If that's true, then you're ten times worse than a beta-tester! You're a god damned cheater, that's what you are!"

Angry voices reigned through the boss room, all of them directed at me. then, someone said those fateful words:

"He's a beta-tester _and_ a cheater! A «Beater»!"

I smirked. "A «Beater», eh? Has a nice ring to it. I like it."

Everyone gasped in shock.

"Okay. you can call me a «Beater»," I said, opening up my menu and going through my inventory. "Just make sure that you don't confuse me with those lowly testers anymore. Here's a way to tell the difference."

I found my new item in my inventory, immediately equipping it. "When you see this coat, just know that it's the «Beater»— the one who's gonna _beat_ this game!"

With that, I turned around, walking away from the bewildered faces of all the players who soiled my name.

When I got to the top of the stairs, just before I opened the door to the next floor, I heard a familiar pattern of footsteps run up to me. "Kirito-kun, wait!"

I turned my head ever-so-slightly, just enough to see Asuna out of the corner of my eye.

_What the hell?! Why doesn't she hate me now?!_

"What is it?" I asked her, not bothering to hide the coldness in my voice.

"I want… I want to keep partying with you!" she pleaded.

"Sorry, Asuna…" I started, looking down sadly. "I don't want you getting involved with someone like me. Besides…

"You have what it takes to become powerful on your own here. It's easy to see. But even still… if the day comes when someone you truly trust invites you to join a guild, don't even think about turning it down. There're serious limits to what a solo player can do, and I don't want them holding you back."

"B-but… what about you? you're solo…" she said, her voice quivering.

I feared looking back, knowing that if I did, I'd see her crying. I opened up my main menu, went into the «Party» sub-menu, and selected dissolve. When it asked for my confirmation…

I hit yes.

_I'm sorry, Asuna…_

I put my hand on the door to the second floor, opening it up with just a simple touch. I walked through the door slowly, my heart fighting my brain with all its might to make me stay.

_I have to do this… for her sake, and for everyone else's._

When I got through the passage and it disappeared from behind me, I found myself on the next level of «Aincrad». The second floor. The mountainous terrain had no effect on me as I walked on, determined to make it to the next village… to keep going until I beat the game. I didn't care if I had to do it singlehandedly. I knew I could.

"_When you see this coat, just know that it's the «Beater»— the one who's gonna _beat_ this game!"_

I brought my right hand out in front of me, clenching it into a tight fist. I looked up at the cloudy sky.

_Well… we'll find out._

* * *

**A/N:**

**Holy crap! 8400 words! Io know I said that the chapters would be longer, but this is just ridiculous!**

**Well, whatever. I'd like to start this authors' note by apologizing to anyone who found the language in this chapter offensive in any way. I'm sorry for anyone who was hurt by the language displayed by Kibaou and Kirito, (though mostly Kibaou) and I hope you can forgive me.**

**Okay, now that that's out of the way, I guess it's time for the disclaimer!**

**I don't own the Sword Art Online light novel series or any of its adaptations!**

**See ya later!**


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